Make the Most of Your Last Summer Before College

The college decision day has passed for most. The school year is quickly ending, and graduation is almost here. Change is coming.

The summer before college should be an exciting one—preparing for your next phase of life, one dorm room decoration at a time. Here are a few things you should do this summer in the midst of all your busyness and anticipation.

Use social media to your advantage. While Facebook and Twitter may have been your main sources for high school gossip and happenings, you can now use it for something more important and beneficial. Reach out to your future classmates. Most of them have Facebook accounts, and there’s a good chance someone has already created a group just for your freshman class. Social media can be a comfortable way to meet new friends before you get to campus. Some people end up meeting their roommates online—not that you should make prowling the net for a dorm buddy your main mission, just be open to the possibilities you have.

Have fun with the familiar. In a matter of time, you’ll be surrounded by new faces, friends, and activities. Spend some time this summer enjoying the things that are familiar to you. Yes, your little brother may annoy you sometimes, but take the time out of your swiftly moving, college-focused schedule to actually spend some time with your family, your high school friends, your church, and the people you’ve known for what feels like forever. Even though you’ll still see these people when you’re home for breaks or the occasional weekend visit, it won’t be the same as it is now. In life, you’ll meet tons of great people, but you’ll come to find out that the ones who knew you first often mean the most. So, spend some time with the people who may be thrilled about your big move but a little sad to see you go.

Get to know yourself. One of the most amazing things about college is that you’ll meet people from all kinds of backgrounds, some similar to yours and some surprisingly and tremendously different. People have various ideologies on every issue you can imagine. Leaving home for the first time can be a bit of a reality shock in seeing how diverse people can be. Take some time this summer to reflect on the things that define you—the things that you consider your core values. In college, you’ll have many friendly debates, many moments of peer pressure, and times when you have to take a stand for what you believe. Now is the perfect time to think on and clarify those things. Getting to know yourself is a life-long process, and there’s no better time to get started than the summer before you head off to college.

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About Jasmine Williams

Jasmine Williams is the Christian Colleges and Universities blogger. Originally from southern Virginia, she moved to Boston to study business administration at Northeastern University. Always up for adventure, she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, outdoor picnics, and anything that lets her immerse in the beauty of nature and God’s creations. When taking it easy, Jasmine is a fan of reading a good book or simply relaxing to soothing music. While at Northeastern, Jasmine was able to make connections with high school seniors during their journeys of finding the right college. Becoming an orientation leader and a resident assistant shortly after her freshman year, she was able to see the joys and challenges of entering college from not only her own perspective, but from the perspective of hundreds of incoming students as well. Jasmine pushes herself to keep an open yet grounded mindset; she understands the importance of living for God while being loving and welcoming to people of other beliefs and backgrounds.